Sleigh it isn’t so! Scott Calvin, a.k.a. Santa Claus, reveals that he’s decided to retire in the first teaser for The Santa Clauses, which debuted at the D23 Expo on September 10. He begins interviewing candidates for his replacement, including Peyton Manning. The series will premiere on November 16.
The Santa Clause became an instant holiday classic when it hit theaters in 1994. Over nearly 30 years, The Santa Clause has spawned two sequels and will soon be a TV series. Tim Allen is reprising his iconic role in a Disney+ Original series, along with other familiar faces from the original trilogy.
The Santa Clause films are a Christmas staple every year for families around the globe. The new comedy series is sure to capture our hearts in the same way. From who is returning to what we know about the story, HollywoodLife has rounded up all the latest updates about The Santa Clause series.
Cast & Crew
Cast
Tim Allen will be back as Scott Calvin for The Santa Clause series. The actor made his debut as the character who becomes Santa Claus in the 1994 original film. He returned for sequels The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. All three movies grossed over $100 million at the box office, with the first movie making the most at $189.8 million. Tim will also serve as an executive producer of the series.
As of right now, only two characters from the previous movies are confirmed to return. One is Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Santa’s wife, Carol, who becomes Mrs. Claus. At the end of the third movie, Carol gave birth to a son named Buddy.
On July 27, Deadline reported that David Krumholtz, who played Head Elf Bernard in the first two Santa Clause movies, would be returning for The Santa Clause series. David reposted the news on his Instagram page and wrote, “YOU, THE FANS 100% MADE THIS HAPPEN! THANK YOU!! Woohoo!” He also shared a behind-the-scenes video of himself back in character as Bernard.
“Couldn’t be more proud to add another chapter to my ‘The Santa Clause’ career this fall in ‘THE SANTA CLAUSES’ on @disneyplus. I think you’re going to love it! I loved every minute of revisiting this character, including this moment, when the hair team pinned my wig on for the first time. Tune in!” he wrote. In his comment, David mentions that the series is titled The Santa Clauses, but Disney has not confirmed this title yet.
Kal Penn has joined the cast of The Santa Clause series, according to Deadline. He will play Simon Choksi, an “ambitious game inventor and product developer and a devoted single father. Simon can talk the tech-mogul talk but can’t walk the walk, and his dreams of being the next Bezos falls drastically short. But all that changes after a visit to the North Pole.”
There are a number of fan-favorite actors who starred in the previous movies that have not been announced to return. These actors include Eric Lloyd, who played Scott’s eldest son Charlie Calvin, and Spencer Breslin, who played Curtis the Elf in The Santa Clause 3.
Crew
The showrunner/executive producer of The Santa Clause series is Jack Burditt, best known for his work on Last Man Standing, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Frasier, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kevin Hench, Richard Baker, Rick Messina, and Jason Winer are also executive producers. Jason will also be directing the show.
Jack created the comedy series Last Man Standing, which Tim starred in for 9 seasons. The Santa Clause series reunites Jack, Kevin, and Tim, who all worked together on Last Man Standing.
Story
The official synopsis for The Santa Clause series reads: “Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”
Release Date
The Santa Clauses will have a two-episode premiere on November 16. The series was officially announced in January 2022. Production began in March 2022 and took place in Los Angeles.